Robert Scinto started his career as a plumber, an experience that he says made him acutely aware of the value of customer service at any level.

The CEO of R.D. Scinto now has quite a different vocation: managing a real estate company with 2.5 million square feet of space in the 32 buildings under its ownership, and a full-time staff of 60 in its Shelton office.

For the second year in a row, R.D. Scinto has topped the list of best places to work in Fairfield County in the small business category, as compiled by Workplace Dynamics. Scinto credits one of the company's "golden rule principles" -- treat others as you'd like to be treated -- for the ranking.

"Empathy is the number one quality we focus on: the ability to understand a problem from the customer's point of view," Scinto said. "If you can argue someone's position, you can solve the problem as they see it, not as you see it."

Koby Sanchez, who has managed accounts payable for the past 24 years, knew Scinto and his family through attending functions at the same church, but had no idea he owned the company when she interviewed for the job. Scinto, who had recognized her but couldn't put a name to her face, called her later that night at home, to chat sociably about their church connections and invite her into the office for another interview. Sanchez has been with the company ever since, and notes that the atmosphere has always been a friendly, comfortable one.

"He treats everybody like a real person, no matter what title you have," Sanchez said of Scinto. "I always get to work on time. I have a family here, everyone comes in and says things like, `Oh how are you, how was your weekend, how are the children?' It's a very nice environment."

Scinto has a promote-from-within policy and rarely looks outside the company to fill a spot. Each year, the CEO takes his employees out on Long Island Sound in his personal boat, throws a huge party for the Labor Day holiday and treats the staff to company-wide trips to vacation-worthy destinations like Florida and Las Vegas.

As Scinto acknowledges, though, employee satisfaction is earned by factors other than boat trips and company parties. He echoed Sanchez in describing the group of employees as a family, both literally and figuratively. Two of his children, Robert and Katie Scinto, have numbered among his employees for over a decade.

Scinto often sites the humble beginnings that the company grew from. His first job as a plumber paid him $93 a week and eventually led him into real estate. As clients sold rooming houses in the area, he began buying them and slowly built up the firm, which was officially established in 1978.

"Being a plumber and working with my hands, I have tremendous respect for people in trades," Scinto said. "I've got real respect for the people who work for me because they know I came from where they were. We do things together as a group. I like to say that you can buy a person's back, but you can't buy his heart. You have to earn that."